DSC-W70 Long delay between button press and shot

[M1Super90]

I need input on why my DSC-W70 takes up wards of 3 seconds to shoot after pressing and releasing the button. I've set the focus to continuous, which is supposed to speed things up and run the nightlight focus illuminator.

This is the slowest digital camera I know of. People complain about having to hold a pose forever to get a shot.

Anyone else have this problem with this camera?

I'd like to see if I'm doing something wrong before I sell it for another brand. Yes, it's that much of a problem!

[David Metsky]

To some degree this is a problem with all P&S cameras. I have no experience with that camera, which was released 18 months ago so it's already old technology. :)

Try pre-focusing the camera, push the shutter release down halfway and have the camera focus on your subject before you are ready to shoot. Then, when the people are ready, push the remaining way down. That should speed up the shot. Continuous focus should help, but try this way instead.

In low light some cameras take a long time to capture focus. Are your shots using a flash? If so, you may be waiting for the flash to recharge between shots.

Some cameras are better then others. I have no idea where the Sony W70 fits into the mix.

[M1Super90]

Thanks for the thoughts. Yes, it's old technology, but I upgraded from a 1st generation Casio Exslim 2.0 MP, so big leap for me :D

I've tried the half button press and it helps a lot. May have to make that my M.O. until I upgrade. I'm not very happy with the video noise, which is why I locked it on ISO 100. I looked on Sony.com for a firmware upgrade but no avail.

Unless I find a resolution on both counts, I'll be looking for the next level of image quality (vs size via megapixels) in the $600 range.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

[David Metsky]

There are only a handful of cameras in that cost $600, most are considerably less then that. There are dozens of cameras that will have better image quality then your current camera. Fill out the questionnaire at the top of the forum so we can make better recommendations.

[M1Super90]

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

Ok, let's reduce it to $400

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?

About the same size as the DSC-W70. Can be a little wider. I'm a big guy so I'm not too picky about this.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

My current 7.1 is sufficient. I'm more interested in quality than size.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)

Standard

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)

10!

Do you care for manual controls?

Yes, I prefer them.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?

Snapshots of night time clubbing, days on the lake tied up in Devil's Cove.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?

Not generally. Though, I had a recent reason to make a 2x3 foot poster.

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?

Yes

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?

No

Miscellaneous

Need something with as short a delay from button press to shooting as possible. I take candid snapshots of people partying.

Are there particular brands you like or hate?

Not yet. ha ha

Are there particular models you already have in mind?

Canon Powershot SD850

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)

Nope

[griptape]

The W70 isn't bad at all on shutter lag compared to any other point and shoot out there. Aside from pre-focusing (pressing the shutter button half way), which is something you have to do with ALL point and shoots if you don't want a second and a half delay, turn your flash off and take some pictures and see if the lag time goes away. Your problem is probably flash recycle time and not actual shutter lag.

[M1Super90]

Hmmm.. very good point. Currently I shoot with forced-flash all the time because I want the fill lighting. I had assumed the flash would charge as soon as the unit is turned on. I typically turn on the camera and shoot after 5-10 seconds. Perhaps the flash needs more time to charge.

I'll set the ISO select and the flash to automatic and see what happens.


The W70 isn't bad at all on shutter lag compared to any other point and shoot out there. Aside from pre-focusing (pressing the shutter button half way), which is something you have to do with ALL point and shoots if you don't want a second and a half delay, turn your flash off and take some pictures and see if the lag time goes away. Your problem is probably flash recycle time and not actual shutter lag.